My fiancee returned from a shopping trip to Houston 2 weeks ago with a coconut palm (oh, yes, and a wedding dress, too).  Apparently, she got it at the Katy Freeway Ikea for $13.  We had discussed previously the fact that neither in SA nor in Rockport could we reasonably keep a coconut healthy long term, but this one spoke to her.  I am secretly pleased to have "converted" her to my palm religion.  My question is:  does anyone have any inkling what cultivar it is likely to be?  How can I tell?

Jim--

There's really no way to tel without a photo; and, even then, it will probably be difficult.

Is it possible to post one.

Don't suppose it had a tag that might enlighten (?)

I will get a picture this evening and post it tomorrow.  Thanks.  It is really a matter mostly of curiosity.  The tag very helpfully stated "Coconut Palm" and nothing else.

Hmm.

The coconut's life will be limited, though, with protection, it might live longer than you think, since TX is nice and humid.

I concur that, in any event, your sig-other has shown an interest in palms, too.  She'll probably fall in love with a C. renda, but, well, I'd get it for her . . . .

True love (of palms!) conquers all!

dave

Here are some pictures of the little guy.

And, Dave, a couple of weeks ago in a new nursery in Rockport, we came upon some C. Renda for sale.  There was quite a lot of "what if we are reeeeeealy careful with them?" etc.  Haha.  I can't think what they were doing in Rockport to start with.

I've never figured out how to post pictures more than one at a time.

Hey Jim....

It's BEAUTIFUL.. and, hey.... If I can keep them happily growing in New York, than you can do it Easily. Just protect them on really cold nights and don't overwater...

I've found that these really take off when it gets HOT.. (over 90f) and humidity helps alot too. I have 2 of them.... I replanted one into a large pot last winter when it was in my greenhouse and it just sat there and hardly grew at all - the other one that I put in a smaller pot jumped ahead of it by about a foot. I took the one from the larger pot 2 weeks ago and replanted it into a smaller pot with much more airy soil and now it's growing like crazy.

Jim, you could do a little expiriment.  Someone posted on another thread that there were a couple cocos growing in corpus, and rockport is by corpus.  There's quite a few in the valley, at least until the next big freeze.   You guys get down to 32 what once or twice a year on average.

Actually, where we are in Rockport (Key Allegro), we probably hit 32 every other year.  She is not goint to let this little guy out of her sight, I am afraid.  She is already billing and cooing over it.

JimR:

Ah, Rockport!

If my memory serves, it's one of those towns in Aransas county, across the Bridge over Whatever from Corpus Christi (with the library full of wierdos, another tale of the late '70s).  Rural, lovely, lots of land, bet it's getting a bit yuppified now.

As a yuppie, I look for non-yup places . .. .

Or am I wrong?  Are you further up the coast?

dave

You are correct.  Rockport is just north of C.C. along the Texas coast.

Jim!

Type a few syllables!

Let us know how you (and the ole lady) are?

I hope well and swell . . . .

And the coco's growing like 'ell!

dave